41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

43 For the days fhall come upon thee, that thine enemies fhall caft a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every fide;

44 And fhall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they fhall not leave in thee one ftone upon another, because

19 The Pharifees therefore
faid among themselves, Per-
ceive ye how ye prevail no-
thing? behold, the world is
after him.
gone

look'd on as undeferved and feditious. But Jefus replied, If I fhould filence thefe men, the very Stones (as I may fay) would cry out; meaning, that they must be mere Stocks or Stones not to difcern fo clear a manifeftation of his being the Meffiah. The Pharifees hereupon advis'd the Sanhedrim to defer no longer the putting in exe cution what they had refolv'd against him, inasmuch as the number of his Difciples augmented daily.

Jefus being not far from Jerufalem, and reflecting on the grievous Calamities which fhould befal that City thro the obftinacy of its Inhabitants, could not forbear weeping, and brake forth into this Exclamation: O that thou efpecially of all the Cities of Judea wouldft lay to heart the things that make for thy Salvation, now that thou art admonish'd of the neceffity of a Reformation, which even yet may be thy fafeguard against the impending Ruin! But alas! thy Corruption has rendred thee unable to difcern them; and the appointed hour draws near in which thy Enemies fhall furround thee, and affault thee on every fide, nor fhall they defift till they have put thy Inhabitants to the Sword, and thou be made a heap of Ruins.

All

1

to Jerufalem and

12 And Jefus went Jefus went into the

45 And he went in- .

into the temple of temple, and began to to the temple, and be-
God, and caft out all caft out them that gan to caft out them
them that fold and fold and bought in that fold therein, and
bought in the temple, the temple, and over- them that bought,
and overthrew the threw the tables of
tables of the money- the money-changers,
changers, and the feats and the feats of them
of them that fold that fold doves;
doves;

16 And would not. fuffer that any man fhould carry any veffel through the temple. 17 And he taught,

13 And faid unto faying unto them, Is

46. Saying

unto

them, It is written, it not written, My them, It is written, My houfe fhall be cal- houfe fhall be called My houfe is the house

All thefe Evils fall befal thee because thou negligently didft let flip the time in which God by his Minifters has invited thee to repent.

Fefus then entred Jerufalem, follow'd by a vaft Crowd, infomuch that the whole City was in an uproar, and inquir'd who this was that made his entry with fo numerous a Retinue that flock'd to him from all parts. The Multitude that came along with him replied, it was Jefus of Nazareth, the Prophet, that came from Galilee.. Now Jefu went directly to the Temple, and perceiving a great number of Traders there that had brought Doves, and Beafts for Sacrifice, which they expos'd to fale in a place confecrated to the Worship of God, began to drive them out, as he did once before (which is related chap. 11.) and overthrew the Tables of the Mony- changers, and the Stalls of those that fold Doves, upbraiding them with their pro fane abufe of a place dedicated to the immediate Service of God, according to those paffages of the Prophets, Ifa. 56. 7. Fer. 7. 11. wherein it is exprefly faid that the Temple of Jerufalem should be esteemed by all Nations a place confecrated wholly

too

MATTHEW.

CHA P. XXI.

led the house of pray

er: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

Is And when the chief priests and scribes faw the wonderful things that he did, and the children cry. ing in the temple, and faying, Hofanna to the fon of David; they were fore displeased,

16 And faid unto him, Heareft thou what these say? And Jefus faith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and fucklings thou haft perfected praise ?

to the Service of God, whereas they, the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, had chang'd it as it were into a Den of Thieves, by permitting cunning Merchants to make an unjuft gain and advantage of their Brethren.

Fefus's coming into the Temple being rumor'd about the City, the Lame and Blind were brought to him from all parts, all whom he cur'd of their Infirmities; upon which the Children in the Temple cried out, May the coming of Jefus of the Family of David be propitious to us! Which when the chief Priefts and Doctors of the Law obferved, they came to him, faying, Doft thou not take notice of the importanate and idle Clamors of the Children? Why doft thou not fupprefs them? Jefus replied, that he had taken particular notice of them, and that he faw no reafon to contemn these their Acclamations, fince it was recorded in Pfal.8. 3. Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings haft thou perfected Praife.

Jefus, not at all afraid of their Machinations against him, continued to inftruct the People that reforted to him daily in the Temple, till the Paffover, tho he was not ignorant that the Sanhedrim fought all ways to destroy him. But they being

1

JOHN.

CHA P. XII.

20 And there were certain Greeks among them, that came up to worship at the feast:

21 The fame came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethfaida of Galilee, and defired him, faying, Sir, we would fee Jefus.

22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again, Andrew and Philip told Jefus.

23 And Jefus anfwered them, faying, The hour is come, that the Son of man fhould be glorified.

24 Verily verily I fay unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die,

afraid of the People who admir'd Jefus for his Doctrin, and esteem'd him a Prophet, knew not which way to make any attempt upon him.

CHAP. LIII.

The Curiofity of fome Greeks to fee Jefus. His Speech concerning his Death, and the Incredulity of the Jews; which ended, he returned in the Evening to Bethany.

TH

HERE were at that time certain Greeks at Jerufalem, who tho not circumcis'd, were yet Worshippers of the true God. Thefe came thither against the Paffover to offer up their Prayers to God in the Temple, and having heard various reports concerning Jefus, they defired Philip of Bethfaida to introduce them into his prefence. Philip not knowing whether Jefus were willing to receive thefe Greeks, acquainted Andrew with it, and both came to their Mafter, and told him of their defire to fee him. Jefus answered them to this purpofe (by which they might perceive that tho he would not refufe admittance to the Gentiles, yet they would be much disappointed if they expected to fee one who affected to make himself a King, and was ambitious of a Monarchy here on Earth) The time approaches, faid he, in which he who is generally look'd on as a mere Man, and one of the Vulgar, ihall be rais'd to the higheft pitch of Glory, and be manifefted not only to the Jews, but the Gentiles alfo. As a Grain of Wheat is unfruitful, unless it be buried in the Earth

Ggg

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. XII.

it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

25 He that loveth his life, fhall lofe it: and he that hateth his life in this world, fhall keep it unto life eternal.

26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there fhall also my fervant be if any man ferve me, him will my Father honour.

27 Now is my foul troubled; and what fhall I fay? Father, fave me from this hour: but for this caufe came I unto this hour.

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, faying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

Earth and putrefy, but if it be fown and putrefy fends forth a vaft increase of Fruit; fo alfo is it neceffary for me to die and to be buried,before I can admit any of the Gentiles into the number of my Difciples. And in this particular my Difciples muft follow my example: for whoever out of a greedy defire of prolonging his Life here, fhall renounce my Gospel, will at the fame time forfeit all hopes of Eternal Life; as on the contrary, whoever fhall be as it were lavish of his Life in this World by a ftedfaft adhering to my Gofpel, fhall fhortly change this tranfitory Life for one eternal in Heaven, fo far fhall he be from being juftly deem'd a Lofer. Whoever profeffes himfelf my Difciple, muft follow my example; and fuch a Servant fhall after this mortal Life, be with me in the eternal Seats of Blifs: for whoever fhall behave himfelf here on Earth as becomes my Difciple, fhall be rewarded by my Father with everlasting Glory in Heaven. And that no one may think I require unequal Conditions from him, as if I were to be exempted from all fenfe of the Indignities and Torments that will be inflicted on me, I readily own that I am fill'd with horror and apprehenfion of the Calamities that I forefee will fhortly befal me. Shall I there fore pray my Father to fhield me against these impending Evils? But, for this very purpose am I come into the World, that I might endure them. Yet, O Father (addreffing himself to God) give fome demonftration of my having bin fent by thee. These words were fcarce propounded, when a great noife was heard refembling Thunder, and God exprefs'd himself in words to this purpose: I have already demonftrated this Truth by many Miracles, and will continue to do so still.

Some